An Insider's Guide to Asking the Right Questions During Your PhD

Strategic approaches to formulating research questions and planning scientific projects during doctoral studies. This post discusses methodologies for navigating academic research landscapes and maximizing the impact of PhD work through thoughtful project planning.

A while back, I wrote a short piece about planning scientific projects for New Science. The article explores systematic approaches to identifying impactful research questions and structuring PhD projects for maximum scientific contribution.

Check out the full article here for detailed insights on:

  • Strategic frameworks for research question formulation
  • Methodologies for evaluating project feasibility and impact
  • Best practices for PhD project planning and execution
  • Navigation strategies for academic research landscapes

The piece draws from my experience during my PhD and my postdoc, but looking back, I still think it is a solid framework for the “optimal stopping problem” that is deciding whether or not to continue pursuing a project. I hope you find it useful!